Prince Albrecht's Dog Breeding @museum.de

Have you ever heard of Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Braunfels? No? Dog-lovers among you might know of him, because Prince Albrecht is still a household name in the breeding and testing of dogs for hunting. He himself was a passionate breeder, and the cups were awards for his successes.

Starting in 1873, Prince Albrecht bred St. Bernards, pointers, setters, German shorthairs, dachshunds, deer hounds and especially griffons. His dog breeding was based at Wolfsmühle, a mill located in the valley just this side of Lahn Station. Take a look at your screen to see what the kennels looked like in the late 19th century.

Prince Albrecht is famous mainly because he strongly supported a move to more professionalism in dog breeding. He created breeding criteria as well as judging and testing rules. That’s why he is still mentioned with great appreciation in the history of various dog breeding clubs. His motto,

"Form follows function“...

...was in keeping with the spirit of the times. One test for hunting dogs is still called “the Solms” in his honour.

Apart from pursuing this great passion, Albrecht rendered outstanding service as a Prussian military officer, was a member of the Hesse parliament, and served as guardian to his underage nephew, Georg Friedrich. As "Prince Regent", he shrewdly managed the family estate until his death in 1901. Above all, he showed strong support for the town of Braunfels, which developed into a spa resort during this period. The final decade of the 19th century was beneficial for the entire Solms region.

Albrecht was married to Princess Ebba, an extraordinary woman from the north of Finland. Our cosy café features a portrait of the couple, and also provides more information about what made the princess so exceptional. Or you can select stop number 25 right now.